I went once and ended up on a Jury for a week. Case then got dismissed for some technical thing, simple robbery. Guy was guilty as but as I said thrown on a technicality of law thing.
Ive been called up twice.
first time said was a bad time of year at work so got excused, but had to put when would be a better time…
and then they called me up again.
We had a 2 week Jury duty period for any cases that were selected during that time.
so I did Jury duty, but I never got picked.
And half of the people called out for Jury duty didnt even bother to turn up.
First day came in and watched video etc
then they picked the jury after morning break.
then we got called back another day for another jury to be picked, but that Jury was dismissed as defendant changed plea to guilty.
then they had a third case where they picked a Jury and I missed again, and after that they said the rest of us not selected were excused.
It was a bit of stuffing about IMO. And I just went to work after we had been excused from Jury duty fot he day. I probably only wasted 3-4 mornings.
Can’t you be charged for not turning up without permission?
All you have to do is make them think you’re a bigot and you’ll be excused.
I have a nagging feeling that you shouldn’t lie to judges.
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Some cases are sealed after verdict - to protect parties involved (ie names and details of victims, particularly if minors).
Just plead the fifth.
Stop assuming american TV applies to Aus!!
I got called up once and ignored it. I assumed i’d get into some sort of trouble but nothing ever came of it. (unless there’s a warrant out for my arrest that i’m unaware of). Anyway i’m not recommending you do the same.
I think if you’re self employed and have work on you can get out of it? Surely you can organise a little bit of work so you don’t have to outright lie?
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Apparently they follow up with a fine.
But most of the time it is due to people moving house and not updating addresses.
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Oh this might be why i didn’t get in trouble. I’ve moved a few times since then. It was a good 8 years ago so i think i’m in the clear.
The only time I ever got a jury duty letter was about twenty years ago when I was living in Queensland, but was able to get out of it as there was a box to tick that exempted me because I was in the Army. Not sure if they still have a similar set-up for certain professions/trades, etc (I assume folks like lawyers and police can’t be on a jury, although they would probably be the first ones objected to by the defence if they were).
One of my close mates got a jury duty letter whilst we were deployed in Afghanistan. By the time the letter had arrived after being forwarded from Aus and going through the Defence postal system, he had missed the date he was supposed to report by. He rang them, and they said “yeah, I suppose we can let you off just this once!”.
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A long long time ago one of my bosses a senior partner in a multinational accounting firm got a call up.
He did not want to waste his time so he sent his secretary / pa to give his regrets that he is too busy to attend. His name gets called and his PA tells his honour that with all due respect her boss is to busy for jury duty. His honour is not surprisingly less than impressed with this. In fact he is totally livid and under penalty of jail for contempt gives an hour to get down to the court.
Partner races down gets one hell off a dressing down and has to stay in court for 5 days writing a treatise on “the importance of jury duty as a service to the community”.
Probably doesnt help you much but whatever you do dont send your secretary with an excuse!
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I got called up once in the mid 70s when I worked at AMP (I was only there 21 months), but it was County Court, and they weren’t interested in anybody who had any idea about insurance, so never even had to front up into court.
Also got called up to do duty in Warrnambool a couple of years ago, and told to front the following Friday, but then got sent an email saying not to bother.
they heard about the gas.
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I got called once.
Went in, sat around a whole day, didn’t get called.
Went back the next day, got into a group, then they objected to me.
Some bloke was accused of pilfering something like $40k over 10 years as a busdriver. All in small change. He was a fkg greasy looking unit.
I’ve been called up three times for two cases and one “hang around for a couple of days and then go home”
I found the process quite interesting the first time around but found at least one flaw in the process the second time around.
Some old retiree had volunteered to be the foreman “as he had done it before” The rest of us think that sounds fine and it was…until late afternoon on a Friday. We had retired to deliberate and there was a lot of dissension at first. We had it virtually sorted out when the judge called us back in. He asked the foreman if he thought we would reach a unanimous decision…the old bloke, not wanting to get stuck in a hotel over the weekend said no and so we were discharged without a verdict.
All the old wanker had to do was get the judge to clarify one piece of the process and the hold out would have had to change his mind.
I can think of few other times in my life where i was left feeling so annoyed and frustrated.
If only someone else could have spoken up as well…but the foreman is the only one who can speak for the jury panel.
I have never been called but I know someone who was a while ago in regional Vic. When he was there old mate the farmer decided that he was too busy to come in for jury duty so the judge had the bailiff drag him in where he got lectured about the importance of it all and if he was busy then he needed to get someone else to do his work. Judge was really not impressed.
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I can’t stand the mentality of avoiding all civic duty just because.
Stop being so selfish.
You may need the courts one day.
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I don’t like the idea of letting the average Joe decide who is guilty of what. It’s insane when you actually think about it.
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No it’s not…the jury system puts the onus on lawyers to do their jobs properly.
The first jury I was on, the prosecution lawyer was so detailed in laying out his case that there was no doubt in the minds of the jury. The defence just tried to minimise the damage.
The second one, it felt like the prosecution lawyer was some sort of work experience kid…he left so many holes for the defence to walk through thus allowing the option of reasonable doubt.